Strawberry Wine
by Lupin'sChic
Summary: It's after the final war. Remus realizes he has certain feelings for someone. Can he survive temptation? COMPLETE!
1. Rememberance

**A/N:** This is my second fan fic. I really think I'm getting better at writing. I've posted this story, like my other one, on another website. So if you've seen it before, it's not plagiarized.

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, I do not own any of these characters. Too bad.

The warm afternoon breeze ruffled his greying hair as he made his way down the deserted road. The sun reflected off his caramel eyes, making them glisten. Though it was summer, his skin was the same creamy color it had always been. He was wearing casual robes, not too expensive though.  
  
A song bird was heard from somewhere close by. But this didn't stop Remus Lupin from walking. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking straight ahead.   
  
Many things played through his mind. Things that had happened over the last few months. The biggest of them all was the downfall of Lord Voldemort. It had happened barely a month ago. Harry Potter had done it. After all of these years, he had done it.   
  
It was a big war and many of the wizarding community fought in it, Remus himself included. It had been a long, tough fight, but it was worth it.  
  
Not too long afterwards there was a new Minister of Magic. Fudge had finally come to his senses and fought with Dumbledore in the war, but was killed in the process. So Arthur Weasley was offered the job.  
  
_I'm glad he got it_, Remus thought. _He deserved it more than anybody_.  
  
Since Arthur had become Minister, he had many things taken care of, such as laws. He got rid of the law that discriminated werewolves. That meant Remus could finally get a job. And he did, at the Ministry of Magic. He worked as an Auror. Even though Voldemort was dead, there were still a few deatheaters that remained.  
  
Remus stopped walking when he reached the gate. He opened it and stepped inside the graveyard. He wanted to visit the graves of his friends that had died in the war. He didn't know why, it was just something he had to do.  
  
Remus walked down the rows of headstones until he found some that he knew. He stopped in front of one and read the name.  
  
"Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody." He was a brave man, Remus thought. And he did kill many deatheaters. But he couldn't make it through to the end.  
  
_He died a hero's death_, thought Remus. He proceeded down to the next one he knew.  
  
Severus Snape. Remus bent down and touched his stone. The cool rock beneath his warm fingers sent shivers down his spine. Snape had fought with them, but Voldemort knew of his betrayl to him so he was killed.  
  
At first, after learning of Snape's death, Remus didn't know what to do. _Who would make my Wolfsbane Potion? _he had thought. But luckily Hermione Granger was there to tell him that she knew how to do it. Just as well as Snape did.  
  
_That girl is too clever for her own good_, thought Remus with a small smile and he went down a few more to the next one.  
  
Remus stared at this one for the longest time. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.  
  
"Albus," Remus whispered softly.   
  
Dumbledore's headstone shone from the sunlight. Remus closed his eyes and remembered how he had died. Harry was just about to be killed by Voldemort, but Dumbledore had pushed him out of the way just as Voldemort had cast his spell. It had hit Dumbledore. Harry had chosen that time to cast his spell that had destroyed Voldemort.  
  
Remus opened his eyes and looked back at Dumbledore's grave as he walked away.   
  
_At least his death helped save the rest of the magical population_, thought Remus.  
  
He continued walking through the rows of headstones. He passed the Malfoys'. All three of them were buried next to each other.  
  
Remus came upon some headstones that he was looking forward to seeing, though he wasn't sure if he should. He stopped and looked at Sirius' grave. He was buried right next to James and Lily.  
  
Remus sat down on the warm grass in front of them and rested his head in his hands. He stared at Sirius' for a while and thought.  
  
Did Sirius know he wasn't going to survive the war? Remus had always wondered this because Sirius had made a will a few months before he had died.   
  
Remus remembered back to that night. He had watched Sirius write it. He had asked him why he was writing a will so early in life, but all Sirius had said was "Just in case."  
  
Sirius had given half of the Black fortune to Harry and the other half to Remus. He had also given his house, 12 Grimmauld Place to Remus, and Harry if he wanted it. Remus had tried to decline. It was too much for him. But hard-headed Sirius insisted.  
  
Remus still stared at his old friend's graves. He had a new home, money, and a job. But he would give all of that up to spend only one day with Sirius, James, and Lily again.  
  
Remus looked at his watch. It was nearly 5:00. He stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off his pants. He took one last look at his best friends and Apparated back to 12 Grimmauld Place.

**A/N:** So what do you think so far? Please review!


	2. Birthday Party

**A/N:** Thanks for your reviews! No, I'm not Lupin Chic of Sugarquill. I realized in the first chapter I said that this was my second fan fic. Well, it's not. It's my third.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I don't own the characters. I'm trying to get a hold of Remus, but they won't let me have him. Too bad.

Remus arrived just inside the door. He walked through the hallway and down into the kitchen. Since he had lived there, Remus had made many changes to 12 Grimmauld Place.   
  
The first thing he did was get rid of the portrait of Sirius' mother. She was a pain to get down, but Remus had finally managed. He also got rid of the house elf heads that used to hang in one of the hallways. He thought he had cleaned very well on the house, considering what it used to be. It was now at least livable.  
  
Remus entered the kitchen. His stomach rumbled a little so he went to the cupboards to find something to eat.  
  
As he passed by, he saw something on the table. He picked it up. It was a letter from someone. Remus opened it and read:  
  
_Dear Remus,  
  
Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm having a party here at the Burrow. It starts at 6:00pm. If you are not doing anything I would be happy if you could come. You don't need to bring anything. Mrs. Weasley's doing the cooking. Hope to see you there!  
  
-Harry  
_  
Remus put the letter down and smiled to himself.  
  
"At least I can have something to look forward to," he said aloud.

It was 15 minutes until Harry's party started and Remus was just getting his robes on. He was glad he didn't have to wear shabby clothing anymore.  
  
Before he left, he walked over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a small black box. Remus opened it and inside was a gold watch. He smiled at it. It used to be James'. And before James, it was his father's. Remus closed the box and put it in his pocket.  
  
He walked over to the mirror to get a good look at himself. Even though he was dressed nicely, his face still looked as tired as ever and his hair seemed to have more grey in it than the last time he looked at it. But the parts that weren't grey were still the same golden brown.  
  
Remus turned away and with a pop, he Apparated to the burrow.  
  
When he arrived, Remus found himself outside the door, so he opened it and went on in. He was surprised by how many people were there.  
  
Of course all of the Weasleys were there, including Bill and Charlie (Percy had come back before the war). Also Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood.  
  
There was certainly a lot of dating going around: Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and Neville and Luna.  
  
Neville and Luna had been kind of a surprise for Remus. He didn't think someone as _different_ as Luna would end up with someone as forgetful as Neville.  
  
_Opposites attract I guess_, thought Remus as he greeted everyone.  
  
"Oh, Harry, can I see you for a moment?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," said Harry and they walked over to a corner in the room.  
  
"I wanted to give you this before everything started," Remus said as he pulled the watch out of his pocket and gave it to Harry. He took it and opened it.  
  
"It was your father's," said Remus. "And his father's before him. I've had it for a while and I was saving it for your 18th birthday."  
  
"Wow!" said Harry, amazed at the golden watch. "Thanks!"  
  
Remus smiled and patted Harry on the back.  
  
"So, there sure are a lot of people here," he said as he looked around.  
  
"Yeah," said Harry. "I also invited-"   
  
But before Harry could finish his sentence, there was a loud crash in the kitchen. Harry and Remus walked over to see what happened.  
  
"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry!" Came a voice from behind the table. "You know how clumsy I am."  
  
Remus knew that voice too well to not know who it was. Him and Harry stood in the doorway and watched as a young woman with short, spikey purple hair stood up holding a wet rag. She walked over to the sink, stumbling a little over her feet.  
  
Remus chuckled a little. "Having trouble holding on to things, Nymphadora?" he said grinning.  
  
The woman turned around and looked at him.  
  
"Don't call me that, Remus. It's Tonks." She scowled at him, but it only made him laugh. It had been a few weeks since last saw Tonks, but she hadn't changed any.  
  
"Do you need any help in here, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Harry.  
  
"Oh, not now, Harry dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "Dinner is ready." She called to everyone and told them to come in.  
  
Everyone sat themselves around the table. Remus found himself sitting between Arthur and Tonks.  
  
During the meal, there were many conversations going around the table. Remus listened to most of them and even joined in a few. He was silent for a moment when a clatter of silverware directed his attention to the person on his right.  
  
Tonks had dropped her spoon on her plate and sighed as she pick it up. Remus smiled.  
  
"So what have you been up to since the war, Nymphadora?" he asked her. In the beginning he thought when someone would mention the war, people would start feeling sad and depressed because of the death of their friends. But people were so happy about the downfall of Voldemort that it didn't really effect them much.  
  
She scowled at him again. "Remus, how many times must I tell you to stop calling me that?"  
  
"Oh Nymph," Remus chuckled, "it's your first name, and people usually call other people by their first name."  
  
Tonks looked at him and shook her head.   
  
"You are simply impossible, Remus Lupin." She grinned and gave him a playful slap on his arm. That's when it happened.  
  
As soon as she touched him, he felt a shock go up his arm. His stomach felt funny and his heart pounded against his rib cage. He could feel heat rising up to his cheeks. He gasped suddenly and pulled his arm back.  
  
"Remus, what's the matter?" Tonks asked, looking concerned.  
  
"Nothing," he said, putting a hand up to his face. "It's nothing. Will you excuse me please? I'll be right back."   
  
He jumped up out of his seat and hurried to the bathroom. Once inside, he closed the door and looked at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were still flushed from where he had blushed and his heart rate seemed to had slowed down.   
  
He splashed some cool water on his face and dried off with a towel. Remus sat down on the floor up against the wall.  
  
"What's the matter with you, Moony?" he said aloud. "Why did you blush when Tonks touched you? She's just your friend."  
  
_She could be more_, said a voice inside his head. _You know you want her_.  
  
"That's absurd," said Remus.  
  
_Then why did you blush when she touched you?_ said the voice. _Why did your heart start to race?  
_  
Remus sighed. "I-I don't know why."  
  
Did he like Tonks? She was so much younger than him. He was pushing 40 and she must have been in her mid 20's.  
  
"She's too young," Remus whispered.  
  
_Does age really matter?_ his mind told him.  
  
Remus thought he had gone mad. Here he was, sitting on a bathroom floor, arguing with himself about woman who he only considered a friend and nothing more.  
  
But had he always thought of Tonks as friend? When Remus first met her he thought she was beautiful. Clumsy and outgoing, yes, but still beautiful. But she was always a friend to him.  
  
Come to think of it, though, he had thought about her a lot since the war ended. But did that mean he loved her?  
  
"No, Remus," he said, "you do not love Tonks."  
  
When he thought again on this, he had always called her by her first name, which she hated. But he loved to see her get upset about it.  
  
"She looks so darn cute when she gets upset," he found himself saying.  
  
"Who does?" came a voice from the doorway.  
  
Remus nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up to see who it was.   
  
Tonks was standing in the doorway looking down at him with her ocean blue eyes.   
  
_The strands in her eyes color them wonderful_, he thought.  
  
"Are you ok, Remus?" Tonks asked. She walked over to him.  
  
"I'm fine, Nymphadora." He saw her flinch a little, but she kept quiet. "I'm feeling a bit ill. The full moon is in a few days, you know."  
  
"Right," Tonks said softly. She bent down and put a hand on his face. She brushed away some of his hair. Remus closed his eyes. Her touch felt so smooth against his skin. His heart started knocking on his rib cage again. He was sure Tonks could hear it.  
  
_Is she trying to torture me?_ Remus thought. He opened his eyes.  
  
"Is dinner over?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah," Tonks answered. "Harry's getting ready to open gifts. Come on." She took her hand off his face and held it out for him to take. When he took it, he could feel the burning between their hands.  
  
As soon as he stood up, he let go of it quickly. He took a few steps and stumbled a little, but caught himself.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright, Remus?" Tonks asked with her brow furrowed.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure," he whispered.  
  
"Ok. For a minute there I thought you had turned into me, what with the stumbling and all." She smiled, which made Remus' knees weak. He felt like he was going to fall.  
  
They walked out of the bathroom together, Tonks stumbling as she walked. 

**A/N:** What else can I say but review!


	3. Realization and an Invite

**A/N:** Thanks again for all of your great reviews. the-musical-one: That's so awesome! I'm so glad my story got you into writing those fanfics! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:** Still trying to own. So far, unsuccessful.

After Harry had opened all of his gifts, everyone stayed around to chat for a while.  
  
Remus tried his best to stay away from Tonks in case something else happened.  
  
Hermione came over to him before she left to give him a flask of Wolfsbane Potion.  
  
"Oh Hermione, you're a life savor!" Remus said smiling.  
  
"It's no problem," she said. "I'm happy to do it." She gave Ron a kiss good-bye and then Apparated.  
  
Remus looked around the room a bit and saw Tonks sitting over by Harry, Ginny, and Ron. He swallowed hard.  
  
_Why all of a sudden do I like her?_ he thought. _Nothing can happen. She's too young. We're not made to be together.  
_  
He watched her as she laughed along with the others. Her youthful face shimmering with beauty unlike anything Remus had ever seen.  
  
_Then why is my heart telling me that we are? I just don't understand.  
_  
All of a sudden, in slow motion it seemed to Remus, Tonks turned and their eyes met. The feeling inside him was almost more than he could take.  
  
_I do love her_, he realized. _Whether it's wrong or right, I love her.  
_  
Their eyes lingered on each other a little longer until Tonks turned away, back to her conversation.  
  
"Heaven save me," he whispered.  
  
Remus looked away from Tonks. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. He walked over to the sink and stared out the window. He couldn't get Tonks out of his head. She took his breath away. Everything about her was perfect. Even when her hair was the oddest of colors.  
  
Remus thought he had been driven to insanity. He thought back to their moment just a few seconds ago. He would give up forever just to even touch her.   
  
"She has no idea," he said softly. "I wonder if she'll figure it out." Remus chuckled.  
  
"Remus?"   
  
Remus turned around and saw Tonks standing in the doorway.  
  
"Hey, Nymph," he said. She sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I'm about ready to leave," she said. "It's about midnight and everyone's clearing out."  
  
"Is it really that late?" Remus said. Tonks nodded.   
  
She looked back in the living room where she saw Neville and Luna getting their cloaks on. She turned back to Remus.  
  
"I hate walking into that house alone." She walked around the table toward Remus.  
  
"Really? Why?" he asked, his breath catching in his chest as she got closer to him.  
  
"I don't know," said Tonks. She stared out the window that Remus had been looking through. "I guess the thought of being by myself. I always hate that feeling." She looked a him.  
  
"You always struck me as the type who wasn't afraid of anything," said Remus smiling slightly.  
  
"Yeah, well, never judge a book by it's cover." She smiled, making Remus' knees buckle.  
  
It was silent for a while. They both stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Remus wanted so much to lean down and kiss her, but he couldn't seem to move. Finally Tonks broke the silence.  
  
"Well I guess I'll see you later then." She leaned up and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek. She turned and started to leave.  
  
"Nymph," Remus found himself saying. Tonks stopped and turned around. "If you want, you can come to my house and stay the night. You know, so you won't be alone."   
  
He looked at her. He was afraid she was going to say no. Tonks broke into a smile.  
  
"Yeah, ok. That would be nice." He smiled.  
  
"Well, we'd better go," Remus said. "It's late."  
  
They went into the living room and said good-bye to everyone. Remus said happy birthday to Harry one last time before him and Tonks Apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place.

**A/N:** Ok, review!


	4. Strawberry Wine

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for liking the story so far. But I have to say that the story itself isn't going to be really long. Just 6 chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned them. But sadly I don't. Still trying to get a hold of Remus but JK hasn't returned my calls.=(

Remus and Tonks arrived just inside the door of 12 Grimmauld Place. It didn't look as dark and creepy as it had before, and they didn't have to worry about keeping quiet.  
  
Remus took his wand out and gave it a flick. The lights came on and they were able to see. He put his wand up.  
  
"Well," said Remus turning to Tonks, "would you like me to show you to a room?"  
  
"Oh, no, it's ok, Remus," Tonks said smiling. "I'll find one. Thanks again for letting me stay."  
  
"Anytime," he said. "I have an extra shirt that should be long enough for you if you want to wear that to bed."  
  
"Thanks," she said. "Well, good night." Tonks leaned up to him again and gave him another kiss on the cheek. Only this time it was very close to his lips. He could almost taste her.  
  
She lingered there, closely, before she backed away. Tonks turned and walked towards the stairs.  
  
"Good night," Remus said softly. He swore he saw her blush before she had turned away. The place where she had kissed him was tingling.  
  
He sighed as he made his way up the stairs and into his room to get Tonks a shirt.  
  
Two hours later, Remus was laying wide awake in his bed. He had tried his best to get to sleep, but he couldn't manage. He decided to just give up.  
  
Remus thought about Tonks again.  
  
_Why can't I stop thinking about her?_ he thought, but then he smiled.  
  
"Because you love the crap out of her," he said aloud.  
  
Remus layed there a few more minutes. It wasn't doing him any good, so he got up to go downstairs to the kitchen to find something to drink.  
  
Before he got to the bottom stair, he saw a light coming from the sitting room. He walked quietly down the rest of the steps and walked towards the light.  
  
The door was open and Remus looked in. The fire was going in the fireplace. He looked over at the couch in front of the fireplace and saw Tonks sitting there. He couldn't see her face, only the back of her head.  
  
Remus walked into the room, closer to where Tonks was sitting. A floor board creeked underneath his bare feet. Tonks looked up at him, a little startled.  
  
"Oh, hi," she said. "Did I wake you?"  
  
"No, I was already awake. Couldn't sleep." Remus looked at her and took in all her beauty.  
  
Instead of the usual spikey, different colored hair that she normally sported, Tonks' hair was dark brown. He could see the waves in it as it flowed down her back. Her eyes, Remus noticed, were a saphire blue and her skin looked like cream. She was wearing his t-shirt that was way too big for her.  
  
Tonks smiled up at him. "Me neither. I hope you don't mind me down here."  
  
Remus sat down next to her.  
  
"It's ok, Nymph." He smiled and Tonks rolled her eyes.  
  
"Remus, please don't call me that."  
  
"Why not? I like it." She looked at him.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yeah. I think it sounds sophisticated. It's a beautiful name really."  
  
She smiled and turned away from him.  
  
"Remus, didn't your parents ever teach you not to lie?"  
  
Remus smiled too.  
  
"What's that you're drinking?" he asked seeing her holding a wine glass.  
  
"Strawberry wine," said Tonks. "I found it in the kitchen." She leaned over and got the bottle off the coffee table. "It's really good. Do you want any?"  
  
"Sure," Remus said. Tonks got up. Remus then realized that all she was wearing was the long, baggy t-shirt.  
  
She walked passed him to the kitchen to get another glass. Remus leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. He pictured Tonks in that t-shirt and started to feel hot.  
  
"Oh Merlin," he whispered. "This is going to be a long night."  
  
Tonks came back in and Remus quickly opened his eyes. She say down next to him. A little too close, Remus thought.  
  
Tonks handed him the wine glass and poured him some wine.  
  
"Cheers!" she said. They clinked their glasses and took a drink.  
  
The sweet, strawberry taste hit Remus' tongue and flowed down his throat. He drank a little bit and then held the glass up to look at it.  
  
"It's good," he said. He looked at Tonks. "Very sweet."  
  
Tonks blushed a little and nodded. They both set their glasses down on the table.  
  
It was silent for a while. Remus wanted to say something, but he couldn't find any words.  
  
They sat there staring into the fire. He realized just how close they were sitting. Tonks cleared her throat.  
  
"So, have you found yourself a girlfriend yet, Remus?" she asked looking at him. Remus looked at her, taken a little by surprise.  
  
"Uh, no, I haven't," he said. He looked down at his hands. "Not yet."  
  
"Why not?"   
  
Remus shrugged his shoulders and looked up at Tonks.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't really been looking. I kind of gave up on that a long time ago."  
  
"Why's that?" Tonks asked.  
  
"I think you know why," said Remus. "You know what I am. People just don't accept it. Even if some woman didn't know it, I'd be afraid to date them because I don't think that they'd understand." He looked down at his hands again.  
  
It was quiet for a moment. Then Tonks reached over and grabbed one of his hands in both of hers. Remus looked up into her eyes. She was so close. He could smell her vanilla scent.  
  
"Remus," she said, "you're going to find someone. Love's just waiting around the corner for you. I know it's out there."  
  
She reached out with one of her hands and touched his face. She still had a hold of his hand. Her face was inches from his.  
  
"I know all about your condition and I accept it. You're such an amazing man and if people don't want to take the time to find that out, then they're not worth knowing anyway. You shouldn't care what they think because they're the ones missing out on knowing how smart you are, how sensitive, caring, gentile, sweet, sexy-" she stopped talking and blushed.  
  
Remus stared into her eyes, taking in everything she had just said. He realized her hand was still on his face.   
  
Tonks stared deeply into his eyes and leaned forward. Remus closed his eyes, waiting for whatever was coming.  
  
He felt her lips brush against his. She pulled him in closer. Her lips were so soft. The kiss was light and didn't last long. She pulled away.  
  
Remus opened his eyes. Tonks raised her hand that was on his face up to his hair and ran her fingers through it.  
  
"Would you like some more wine?" she asked softly.  
  
"Y-yes," Remus whispered.  
  
Tonks leaned over to the table. She filled their glasses with more strawberry wine and handed one to Remus.  
  
"Cheers."

**A/N: **Nothing to say really. You all know what to do!


	5. At Diagon Alley

**A/N:** Thanks again for your reviews! You guys are great!

**Disclaimer:** Don't own them. I keep getting JK's answering machine. Hopefully she'll call back.=D

Remus woke up the next morning feeling very stiff. He opened his eyes and was almost blinded by the sunlight. He shut them quickly and put his hands on his face.  
  
He groaned loudly and rolled over, only there wasn't anything there and he rolled right off onto the floor.  
  
"Ow!" Remus yelled, his voice muffled by the floor, but he didn't get up.  
  
Laughter came from the doorway and he heared footsteps come toward him and stop.   
  
Remus opened his eyes and turned his head where he saw Tonks standing above him. She was already dressed in blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and a yellow baby-doll tee. Her hair was blonde and curly that fell just past her chin. Her eyes, he noticed, were an emerald green.  
  
"Morning, Nymph," Remus struggled to say.  
  
"Nice wake up call, eh Remus?" Tonks said laughing.  
  
Remus smiled and managed to pull himself up in a sitting positon. He looked around and realized he was still in the sitting room.   
  
"You fell asleep on the couch last night," said Tonks, noticing his eyes darting around the room. "I decided not to wake you and let you sleep."  
  
"Thank you," said Remus. "I've been extremely tired lately. The full moon's the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah," Tonks sighed. It was quiet for a moment.  
  
"Uh, Remus?" said Tonks. "Do you need me to help you up?"  
  
Remus realized he was still on the floor.  
  
"Oh, yeah," he said as Tonks stuck her hand out. He took it and she pulled him up.  
  
"Thanks," he said. It was quiet again.   
  
_Why can't you ever think of something to say?_ Remus scolded himself.  
  
"Um, Remus, can I have my hand back?" Tonks said nervously.  
  
Remus blushed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry." He dropped it quickly. Tonks smiled.  
  
Remus could feel the butterflies coming back.  
  
_My God, Moony, do you have to act like a 15 year-old school boy every time she smiles?_ he thought.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud rumble coming from Remus' stomache. Tonks grinned again.  
  
"A little hungry this morning, aren't we," she said poking him in the stomache.   
  
Remus grinned and blushed. "Yeah, just a little bit."  
  
"Do you want me to make you some breakfast?" Tonks asked, turning to go to the kitchen. Remus thought for a second.  
  
"How about instead we go out and eat breakfast," he said. "If you want to."  
  
Tonks turned around at the doorway and smiled.  
  
"Ok," she said.  
  
Remus grinned and felt his heart flutter.  
  
Half an hour later, Remus and Tonks were sitting at a table at the Leaky Cauldron eating breakfast.  
  
Remus wanted to start a conversation, but he didn't know what to talk about. He ended up asking Tonks about her childhood. He didn't know anything about this part of her life and was actually quite interested.  
  
"I really don't want to talk about myself the whole time, Remus," said Tonks. Remus smiled.  
  
"But I'm interested. Go on."  
  
They ate their breakfast while Remus asked her questions. It surprised him by how much they were alike. She was never accepted in the Black family because she was a muggleborn, and he wasn't accepted in the wizarding world because he was a werewolf.  
  
They continued talking and it struck Remus how easy it was to talk to her. He was never really good at carrying on conversations with women before. Even though she was clumsy and sometimes wild, he was enjoying himself.  
  
After breakfast they decided to walk around Diagon Alley for a little bit.  
  
As they were walking side by side, Remus felt Tonks' hand brush up against his. He so badly wanted to take it. They kept walking and he felt her hand again. It was now or never.  
  
He swallowed as he slowly reached one of his fingers out and touched her hand. He was afraid she was going to pull back, but she didn't. He slowly gathered up the rest of her hand in his and interlaced their fingers.  
  
He slowly let out his breath which he realized he had been holding and looked over at Tonks. She was looking down at their hands and then looked up at him. She grinned and turned facing ahead. Remus smiled as they continued walking.  
  
After a while, Tonks started acting like she alway did. They walked by the Magical Menagerie where they saw a fluffy looking kitten in the window.  
  
"Oh Remus, look!" squealed Tonks, dragging him over there. She tripped on a stone and Remus caught her before she fell.  
  
Next they ran over to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Tonks was laughing and having fun as she still had a hold of his hand.   
Remus had never seen her like this before. It made him happy. He started laughing along with her. They got a few stares from passerbys. It's not every day you see two full grown wizards acting like children in a school yard.  
  
But Remus didn't care. Tonks did something to him. He loved this side of her. She was so free and relaxed and it made him feel the same way.  
  
After a while they went over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor to get ice cream. There, they saw Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sitting at one of the tables outside eating ice cream.  
  
"Hi you guys!" said Tonks happily.  
  
"Hey!" they said looking up at them.  
  
Remus noticed the strange looks on their faces. They were looking at him and Tonks in surprise. That's when he realized they were still holding hands.  
  
"So," said Ron grinning, "what are you two doing here.....together?"   
  
Harry tried to hold back his laughter. Ginny hit him on the arm.  
  
"Stop it," she whispered.  
  
"Well, we ate breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron and then decided to walk around Diagon Alley for a bit," said Tonks. "We were just getting some ice cream now."  
  
"That's nice," said Hermione smiling. Ron sniggered, making Hermione kick him from under the table.  
  
Ginny looked as if she senced something so she said, "Well, we really need to be going. It was nice seeing you two." They stood up.  
  
"You guys don't have to go," said Remus.  
  
"It's alright," said Ron smiling. "We'll leave you two _alone_!"  
  
"Yeah, see you later, _professor_!" said Harry grinning.   
  
They waved good-bye and disappeared into the crowd.  
  
Remus and Tonks got their ice cream and sat down at the table that Harry and them had sat at. They ate silently for a few minutes until Tonks spoke up.  
  
"Did you see Harry and Ron when we walked up? They almost died of trying not to laugh." She smiled and shook her head. "Boys can be so immature."  
  
Remus smiled slightly.  
  
"Hey Nymph?" he said.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"What's going on with us?"  
  
"What do you mean, Remus?" she asked looking up at him.  
  
"I mean, what is it between us? We were holding hands a while ago and last night, we kissed. What's going on?"  
  
Tonks sighed.  
  
"Remus, I need to tell you something that I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."   
  
She hesitated and looked down.  
  
"Ok. What is it?" He could tell, whatever it was, was hard for her to say.  
  
"Well," said Tonks looking back up at him, "ever since you and I first met back in the Order, I've, uh, sort of had a little crush on you."  
  
She turned red quickly and looked away.  
  
Remus' heart jumped. He couldn't believe what he just heard. She liked him! Him! Remus tried to speak but Tonks wasn't through talking.  
  
"I never told anyone because I thought they would disapprove. You know, since you're so much older than me. But I never stopped thinking of you and when you invited me over last night, I thought it was too good to be true."  
  
She looked up at him and met his eyes.  
  
"You're such an amazing person, Remus, you really are. It's so hard to find a guy who cares for other people like you do. Who's intelligent, who's-"  
  
"Nymph," Remus cut her off. She stopped talking and stared at him. "I need to tell you something too. I feel the same way about you."  
  
Tonks' eyes widened in shock. "What?"  
  
Remus nodded his head. "It's true. I thought about you a lot after the war. And yesterday at Harry's party when I got up quickly from the table, that was because when you touched me, I couldn't bare it. I like you so much, Nymph. When you're with me, I'm free and careless."  
  
He reached over and grabbed her hand.  
  
"I need you Nymph. I need you like I need water, or like I need to breathe. I-I think I'm in love with you." Remus finished and Tonks sat there speechless.   
  
It was quiet for a moment. Neither one of them knew what else to say.  
  
Then Tonks stood up and pulled Remus out of his seat. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.  
  
"Remus Lupin, I am so in love with you."  
  
And with that she leaned in and pulled him forward, closer to her, until their lips touched.  
  
Remus wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her tightly to him, deepening the kiss. She tasted so sweet.   
  
They stood there kissing until Tonks pulled away.  
  
"Remus, can we go home?"  
  
Remus smiled and held her tighter. With a pop, they Apparated.

**A/N:** You know what to do!


	6. The Proposal

**A/N:** Thanks again for your reviews! Sadly, this is the last chapter.

NaughtyTautology: Thanks for reading and I'm loving your Big Brother fic! So awesome!

**Disclaimer:** JK returned my call and said that I can't have them. (Sob!)

3 months later.......  
  
Sunlight streamed in through the white curtained window. It hit the polished wooden floor and ran it's way up the side of a king sized bed. It made it's way across the white comforter and rested upon two faces of two people who were spooning comfortably under the blankets sleeping.  
  
As soon as the sunlight hit his eyes, Remus stirred a bit. He didn't want to wake up, not now. He wanted to lay there forever. With Nymphadora Tonks in his arms there was really no reason to get out of bed.  
  
He opened his eyes. The cool November breeze blew through the open window. He snuggled down into his pillow and pulled Tonks tighter to him. She stirred. He thought she woke up, but instead she turned and snuggled against his bare chest.  
  
Remus looked down at her and ran his fingers through her long, wavy dark brown hair. He used his other hand to stroke her face. Her creamy skin was smooth to his touch.   
  
This was the way she looked when she was relaxed and content. Her natural form. He saw alot of this after they had started dating. He knew under those eyelids were the saphire eyes he loved so much.  
  
Remus continued to stare at Tonks in his arms as she slept. Being in love with her kept getting better all the time. She touched every place in his heart.  
  
_Why am I even here with her?_ he thought. _How could I have been the one.  
_  
He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That's way today was so special for Remus.  
  
He smiled, leaned down, and kissed her eyelids. Tonks stirred again. This time she opened her eyes. Remus smiled again.  
  
"Good morning, beautiful," he said stroking her hair some more.  
  
Tonks yawned and stretched. She rested her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him.  
  
"Good morning," she said softly.  
  
Remus kissed her gently on the lips. Tonks smiled.  
  
"Yes it is a good morning."  
  
She squeezed him tighter and sighed happily. They layed there for a few moments, watching their fingers intertwine with one another.  
  
_Ok, Moony,_ Remus thought. _It's time._ He swallowed.  
  
"Hey, Nymph?" said Remus.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I need to tell you something." He started to sit up. Tonks sat up and looked at him puzzled.   
  
"What is it, Remus?" she asked.  
  
Remus felt the butterflies again. He was so nervous, but it had to be done. He swallowed again.  
  
"Nymph, I love you so much. You know that, don't you?"  
  
"Of course," said Tonks.  
  
"This is the first time in my life that I've ever truely been in love." Remus was getting even more nervous, but he pushed himself on.  
  
"I know that you love me too. When you touch me, I can feel it. You've brought me so far and I can't turn back."  
  
Tonks smiled and Remus grabbed her hand to hold on to. He continued talking.  
  
"I think back on these times that we've shared together and I feel so blessed to have you. I owe you so much. I look in your eyes and I see my future."  
  
Tonks smiled even bigger. Remus' heart flutterd. He loved the way she glowed. Like an angel.  
  
"So that's why I need to do this." He got out of bed and walked over to his dresser.  
  
Tonks couldn't see what he was doing. Remus came back with something hidden behind him.  
  
"What's that?" asked Tonks as she pointed to it. Remus smiled and sat back down on the bed close to Tonks.  
  
"I have everything I've ever wanted," he said. "I'm complete, except for one small thing."  
  
"What is it?" said Tonks.  
  
Remus brought out what he had behind his back. Tonks looked at it. It was a small black box. She gasped softly. Remus knew she figured out what it was.  
  
He opened it up. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring. Tonks' eyes widened.  
  
"Nymphadora Tonks, will you marry me?"  
  
She looked up at him. He could see the shock in her eyes. She broke into a smile.  
  
"Yes," she whispered.  
  
Remus smiled and took the ring out. Tonks held out her left hand, which was shaking slightly, as Remus slipped the ring on her finger.  
  
Tonks looked at it and then up at Remus. She leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers.  
  
"I love you, Remus," Tonks whispered.  
  
"I love you too, Nymphadora."  
  
"Remus, how many times must I tell you to stop calling me that?"  
  
Remus smiled.  
  
"At least once more."  
  
He leaned in and kissed her again. Tonks wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. They fell back on the bed, lost in all of their passion.  
  
THE END!

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for reading! You all are great! Yes, I know the story was short, but I didn't intend it being super long! Thanks again!

With lots of love,

-Tara


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